Apparatus for supplying soluble agents to liquids



APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING SOLUBLE AGENTS TO LIQUIDS Filed Aug. 2, 1940 I I 12 ll 'M/11 V z r 8 15 a J I Z I 5 a 6 EugeneLPri er Mow-44 Patented June 16, 1942 OFFICE APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING SOLUBL AGENTS TO LIQUIDS Eugene L. Prizer, Solana Beach, Calif.

Application August 2 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for supplying soluble agents to liquids and pertains more particularly to an promotes the ready solution of the agent in the liquid, especially in case the soluble agent is in large particles or lumps.

Although my invention is generally applicable to apparatus for supplying soluble agents to liquids it will be described in connection with the supplying of water soluble fertilizing agents to irrigation water, and more particularly in connection with an illustrative form of apparatus for supplying water soluble fertilizing agents to irrigation water applied by the common garden hose, since the problems are in each case substantially the same.

In the general class of apparatus in which this invention lies, the soluble agent is usually supplied in comminuted form, and the particle size is not uniform, since the material usually tends to ball and form lumps. At any rate there are usually fairly large particles present which are difficult to dissolve. Furthermore, the soluble agent is usually contained in a chamber which has a foraminous wall tion 'leaves the chamber. Besides the difficulty of dissolving the large particles, they generally have a tendency to pile up near the foraminous wall and clog the openings.

It is therefore the principal object of this in vention to provide an apparatus of the class described which provides for the rapid dissolving of large particles of the soluble agent and also prevents their clogging the apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and efiective apparatus for supplying a water soluble fertilizing agent to irrigation water. 7

Further objects and advantages of the invention will either be specifically brought out in the ensuing description or will be apparent therefrom.

My invention is best described in connection with the accompanying drawing which illustrates typical embodiments thereof and referring there- L Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a typical form of apparatus according to this invention as taken along line l--l in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section thereof taken along line 2-2 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a section of such an apparatus taken along a line corresponding to line 3-3 in Fig. 2 and illustrating a modified form of bottom wall.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the

through which the solu- .7

2, 1940, Serial No. 349,385

improved construction which the apparatus is shown as comprising a container I of substantially circular cross section providing a chamber 2 for holding a quantity of soluble agent such as a quantity of granular or powdered water soluble fertilizing agent. The container further comprises a bottom wall 3 which is suitably secured in liquid tight engagement with side walls 4 of the container.

The bottom wall 3 has a central portion 5 which is higher than its marginal portion 6 and the bottom wall slopes downwardly and outwardly from the central portion to the marginal portion. In this particular example, the bottom wall is in the form of a cone with its apex defining the central portion of the bottom wall and its axis substantially coinciding with the axis of the chamber 2.

The apparatus further comprises inlet means providing a passage 1 for introducing liquid through an opening 8 into the lower portion of the container at a position upwardly removed from the marginal portion of the bottom wall and in a direction having a substantial tangential component. Means providing a liquid outletopening 9 communicating with the lower portion of the container is also included, and a foraminous member such as a screen I0 is disposed between the interior of outlet opening 9.

When the apparatus is used for supplying fertilizer to irrigation water, for example, in connection with a garden hose, it is convenient to incorporate the inlet and outlet means in a single member I which has portions extending into an opening l2 in the side walls 4 and is suitably secured to the side walls in liquid tight engagement therewith. The member llhas a liquid passage l3 extending therethrough and is provided at one end M with means such as spaced ridges for attaching a garden hose thereto, usually a permanent connection for a short length of hose to attach the apparatus to a faucet, and is provided at the other end H: with means such as a threaded connection for attaching the end of a garden hose thereto for discharge of irrigation water with a quantity of fertilizing material dissolved therein.

The passage I3 is provided with a Venturi throat l9 into which the discharge passage 9 opens. The inlet passage 1 communicates with the passage I3 at a high pressure point upstream from the throat IS. The screen member In is preferably secured to the member H and the member I l is preferably recessed as at I! to prothe container and the vide a chamber behind the scr en with which the opening 9 communicates.

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated the lower portion of an alternative form of my invention, which, except for the construction of the bottom wall may be exactly the same as the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 and may otherwise be considered as a section along line 33 in Fig. 2. In this embodiment of my invention a bottom wall to is shown with a central portion 5a which is higher than its marginal portion 6a. The bottom wall slopes downwardly and outwardly from its central portion to its marginal portion. In this case, however, the shape is not truly conical as is the case in Fig. 1, but the bottom Wallcurved.

The device is shown provided with a suitable bail Hi having a handle portion l-9 by means of widen the device may be transported. The handle portion is provided with a hand screw '29 which is adapted upon turning to engage cover member 25 to force it in sealing engagement with the ends of the walls t to close the chamber. A suitable gaslzet may be provided as at 22 to form a tight seal. Suitable base means is provided as at 23 for supporting the apparatus in an upright position. For example, the bottom wall may be continued outwardly past the side walls as shown in Fig. l to provide a base.

To operate the device the cover 2| is removed and a desired quantity of a solid soluble material such as finely divided ammonium sulphate, calcium nitrate or the like is placed in the chamber 2 and is supported by the bottom wall 3. The

lid is then replaced and the hand screw 20 is placed in engagement with the lid and turned to seat the lid tightly. The end M of the passage I3 isplaced in communication with a water supply and the end I5 of the passage 13 is placed in communication with the area it is desired to fertilize.

Part of the liquid flowing through passage l3 will discharge through opening 8 and having a substantial tangential component will tend to sweep around the chamber as indicated by the flow lines. It will be noted that the liquid issuing from the opening 8 is directed adjacent and across theinner face of the screen L This prevents large particles from settling at the screen and clogging the apparatus and also helps force small particles of the material through the screen. It is to be understood that the openings in the screen are large enough to admit an undissolved particle which is sufiiciently small not to clog succeeding parts of the system or to dissolve before being discharged from the hose connected to the end I5 of the passage l3.

There is a tendency for a swirling movement to be obtained in the lower portion of the chamher about the bottom member 3. Large particles or chunks of material which are difiicult to dissolve which tend to settle down toward the bottom of the chamber are caused to move downwardly and outwardly along the sloping bottom portion to a position where they are subjected to the swiftest liquid flow and are caused to dissolve more rapidly. At the same time they are kept from settling at the screen.

In the foregoing description and in the claims the use of the term substantially circular in connection with the cross-section of the container is meant to include suitable polygonal cross-sections proximating a circular shape, since he desired swirling action. can be obtained in such containers and because a circle is in a sense a polygon, being a limiting case thereof. Obviously my invention is susceptible to certain other variations, hence I do not choose to be limited strictly to the above-described examples but rather to the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for supplying soluble agents to liquids, the combination which comprises: a col ainer of substantially circular horzontal cross-section having a bottom wall adapted to receive and support a quantity of solid soluble agent in divided condition, the central portion of said bottom wall being higher than'its marginal portion, said bottom wall sloping downwardly and outwardly from its central portion to its marginal portion; inlet means for introducing liquid into the lower portion of said container at a positionupwardly removed from the marginal portion of said bottom wall and in a direction having a sub stanti-al tangential component; liquid outlet means; and a screen communicating with the lower portion of said container disposed between the interior of said container and saidoutlet means.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, said inlet means being so located with respect to said screen as to direct liquid into said container adjacent and across the inner face of said screen.

EUGENE L. PRIZER. 

